Filippa Gojo Quartett - Seesucht (2017) [Hi-Res]

It is not easy to imagine a warm summer rain in Greenland. Or cumin in a cream pie. Colour in "Casablanca". Freedom in North Korea. Or lush green basil in Death Valley. All these things would be unusual and unexpected. Some would be unorthodox, but perhaps interesting simply because they are so surprising. Because they are things that did not exist before.

The surprising juxtaposition of elements that might be familiar in other contexts define the wonderful style of the Filippa Gojo Quartet. At its core is the Austrian singer Filippa Gojo, who hails from the foothills of the Alps but lives presently in Cologne, Germany, and who has long been a proponent of a tasteful crossover jazz style. Her motto is "Singing outside of the box", which means for her the exploration of new territory, both vocally and conceptually. Already during her studies she broke new ground by performing solo pieces and improvisations that broke away from traditional jazz forms. This of course influences the music of the Quartet, which has been working together since 2009.

There is never a rigid template of form or style, no insistence on virtuosic displays, but neither is there a sense of anarchy onstage; no pretending that the audience is not there. For the singer and her ensemble, the goal is to emotionally touch the audience, to communicate their own inner feelings. This has often been mentioned in the glowing reviews of the group's first album, titled "Nahaufnahme", which translates as "Close-up" or "Close Recording".

Filippa Gojo's unusual vocal technique allows her to mix breathtaking cantilena passages with elements of a kind of vocalised percussion. She is equally talented as vocalist and songwriter; this is attested by the remarks of the legendary jazz singer Norma Winstone: "...I am really impressed with the way she writes and sings in English. I especially like 'Train of Thought' and the Jimmy Hendrix-type solo on 'Confusao'". Some of the more recent pieces are set in her native Austrian dialect, and so express her musical imagination even more deeply and intimately.

Filippa Gojo and her quartet of young and brilliant musicians (Sebastian Scobel, piano and keyboards, David Andres, bass, and Lukas Meile, drums) have begun to establish themselves on an international stage, not only by winning the Jazz Prize of the City of Cologne but by receiving invitations to perform at important European Festivals like the "Alto Adige" in Italy.

Their first prize in the extremely influential 'New German Jazz Competition 2015' nevertheless came as a surprise, and in the same competition Gojo was awarded the first prize in the solo category. For the group's members, the prizes meant a great deal, but just as valuable for them was the statement made by one of the judges, the American jazz saxophonist Kenny Garrett, who announced their passing through to the final round of the competition by saying, "This music touched my soul!"

Filippa Gojo, vocals
Sebastian Scobel, piano
David Andres, bass
Lukas Meile, percussion

Tracklist:
01. Filippa Gojo Quartett - Seesucht (7:08)
02. Filippa Gojo Quartett - Come and Go (6:39)
03. Filippa Gojo Quartett - Do Mo trinkt bloach osom Bach (7:10)
04. Filippa Gojo Quartett - D'Zit (3:23)
05. Filippa Gojo Quartett - Where the Lights Begin (6:36)
06. Filippa Gojo Quartett - My Water (8:27)
07. Filippa Gojo Quartett - Foersterhus (7:57)
08. Filippa Gojo Quartett - A Bomhus (5:24)